Trailheads

In 1995, Lori Ridgeway moved from Pennsylvania to Nashville, TN, and began working at Cumberland Transit, an outdoor specialty store serving the Music City for over 50 years. Ridgeway is now the store’s footwear buyer, and her 30 years of experience have given her a deep well of footwear knowledge, a comprehensive view of the market, and a keen eye for spotting trends. We spoke to Ridgeway on the shop floor in Nashville and asked her to share the top five trends she’s seeing in her footwear department. 

1. Buyers Dial Back Orders Post-COVID

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, manufacturers flooded outdoor retailers with footwear. Retailers marked down items to move the glut of products, while manufacturers discounted footwear online to clear their warehouses. Over several seasons, retailers struggled to sell footwear at full price.  

By now, most stores have cleared out the surplus of products. However, the post-COVID experience has altered their buying strategy. “Retailers are slimming down the number of shoes they order because they don’t want the risk,” says Ridgeway. “Also, I’m not doing a lot of backup orders,” she says, explaining that in the past, she would bring in additional styles in case manufacturers could not deliver a particular shoe.  

Ridgeway says the various players in the footwear market understand things have changed. “Manufacturers know it’s a new reality,” she says, “and the reps aren’t pushing us.” 

2. Trail Running Footwear Goes for a Hike

“People are buying trail runners to hike in, plain and simple,” says Ridgeway. While Nashville is home to a growing community of trail runners, many shoppers at Cumberland Transit don’t plan to dash down the trail in their new shoes.  

For years, people have kicked aside their beefy boots and opted for lightweight trail shoes. This trend has become more pronounced as running footwear brands like HOKA have introduced higher levels of cushioning and support in lightweight trail-worthy shoes. “People will come in and buy a trail runner and tell me they’re going to hike the Appalachian Trail in them,” says Ridgeway, adding that Altra trail runners have ruled the AT for a couple of years. 

Now, Topo Athletic shoes are drawing a healthy number of hikers. “Everybody likes the wide toe box, and they’re very lightweight,” says Ridgeway.

3. Stepping into Hands-Free Footwear

Pointing toward the Kizik shoes on her footwear wall, Ridgeway says, “This is going to be a huge trend.” If you’re unfamiliar with Kizik shoes, they are hands-free shoes that feature a cage around the heel that will depress slightly and spring back, allowing people to slip into the shoes without bending over. Because prominent companies such as Skechers promote hands-free shoes, Ridgeway says the trend should have some staying power. It also helps that these shoes appeal to a variety of people.  

“The trend partly comes from travel,” she says, noting that it’s easier to negotiate security lines with shoes you can slip on and off easily. It’s also possible that the hands-free trend is a remnant of the pandemic when housebound people gravitated toward super-comfy clothes, including slip-on clogs.   

According to Ridgeway, hands-free shoes also draw customers with mobility issues, including people with bad hips and knees who struggle to bend down. 

4. Healthcare Professionals are a Growing Customer Base

Cumberland Transit has seen several healthcare professionals buying cushioned running shoes for about three years. “HOKA was the first brand where I realized I was selling tons to nurses,” says Ridgeway. “They would see their coworkers wearing them and just had to come in and see them.” 

While running shoes with ample cushioning are perfect for nurses, they’re also popular with massage therapists and other caregivers who spend hours on their feet.